Arseniy Yatsenyuk: Our response to Russia—raise in duties and embargo on Russian products (04.01.2016)

Ukraine exits the free trade area with Russia, raises duties on all Russian products and puts a trade embargo on a number of goods manufactured in Russia. This was stated by Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk in Ten Minutes on Sunday, January 3.

In connection with the entry into force of the FTA Agreement, the Russian Federation, as expected, imposed a trade embargo against Ukraine and illegally withdrew from the free trade area.

“We give the following answer. Ukraine exits the free trade area with Russia, raises duties on all goods and puts a trade embargo on all food products manufactured in the Russian Federation, as well as on car building and engineering products,” said Arseniy Yatsenyuk. “We are taking countermeasures. We didn’t start this war,meanwhile the aggressor will be punished.”

The Prime Minister underlined that the agreement on free trade area between Ukraine and the European Union—“this is the agreement for which millions of Ukrainians fought on the Maidan”: “That is the perspective for the Ukrainian economy to become competitive, strong, exemplary and the one that attracts investment from the European Union, creates jobs, trades freely with Europe and allows the Ukrainian businesses to develop and move forward.”

The FTA agreement, he emphasised, means above all the duty-free sale of Ukrainian goods to Europe and European goods to Ukraine: “This is competition that is a challenge for the domestic producer. But first of all—an opportunity for Ukrainian business to become stronger, more competitive and win new markets.”

Arseniy Yatsenyuk stressed that Russia “did everything to prevent Ukraine from being part of the European space and from returning to our historic European family”: “The former regime refused to sign the agreement on a free trade area with the European Union. And millions of Ukrainians went out and we won.”

On 21 March, 2014, the Head of Government signed the political part of the Association Agreement, and on June 27, 2014, the President of Ukraine signed the economic part of this Agreement: “Russia tried to stop the entry into force of this Agreement. But from January 1, the agreement came into force. We became part of the European economic family.”

Quelle: <http://www.kmu.gov.ua/control/en/publish/article?art_id=248750008&cat_id=244314975>

Ukraine launched a new Silk Road bypassing Russia (15.01.2016)

On Friday, January 15, Ukraine launched a pilot container train to China via a new Silk Road bypassing Russia, which will significantly increase the volume of cargos to Asia.

The trial train departed from Illichivsk port running across Ukraine—Georgia—Azerbaijan—Kazakhstan—China route(through the Caspian Sea and Black Sea)—via the new direction of “Silk road”. It includes ferries of the Black Sea and Caspian Sea (Illichivsk—Batumi and Alat—Aktau Port). The container train consists of 20 wagons and will deliver cargo from Ilichivsk to Dostyk (China) within 11–12 days.

The new route is an alternative that would allow redirecting cargo flows in the eastern direction bypassing the territory of the Russian Federation, which completely stopped transit of any goods originating from Ukraine through its territory, regardless of the country of final destination.

The day before, on January 14, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Ukraine signed a protocol on the establishment of feed-in tariffs for cargos via the Trans-Caspian international transport route. The document provides for comprehensive measures to facilitate the movement of trains on the route and increase the cargo turnover.

Background information

The volume of transportation of goods between Ukraine and the People’s Republic of China in 2015 made up 25.48 million tons, which is 2.25 million tons or 11% more than in 2014. This is a record figure for the last 10 years. Today China ranks the first place in export traffic from Ukraine, relegating Russia to the second position (from the first position over the last 5 years)—15.9 million tons.

Quelle: <http://www.kmu.gov.ua/control/en/publish/article?art_id=248765019&cat_id=244314975>

Ukraine brings WTO members’ attention to Russia’s trade discrimination (16.01.2016)

The Secretariat of the World Trade Organization has sent WTO Member States a Communication from Ukraine of 6 January 2016 with regard to trade restrictions from the Russian Federation (Eng).

Ukraine brings WTO Members’ attention to the continued aggression of the Russian Federation. In particular, it states that the politically motivated and illegal trade measures have been adopted by the Russian Federation following Ukraine’s decision to start the implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with the European Union on 1 January 2016. Ukraine emphasises that such measures as an embargo on imports of certain agricultural products, raw materials and food originating from Ukraine, a halt to the preferential trade regime contemplated under the CIS Free Trade Agreement, and limitations on transit shipments of Ukrainian goods to the Republic of Kazakhstan via the territory of the RF, are inconsistent with the basic principles upon which the WTO is founded as well as commitments undertaken by the Russian Federation upon accession to the WTO.

The Communication points out that due to the Russian Federation’s measures, Ukraine is under the necessity to apply adequate countermeasures until the Russian Federation’s measures are withdrawn.

Commenting on the Ukraine’s statement to WTO Members, Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Aivaras Abromavičius noted that with the support of our trading partners, the Government would appeal to the WTO against the Russian Federation’s actions in order to protect national economic interests and security of Ukraine and Ukrainian business. Moreover, Ukraine plans to introduce alternative transit routes and enter new sales markets.

Quelle: <http://www.kmu.gov.ua/control/en/publish/article?art_id=248766277&cat_id=244314975>

Government extends the list of goods prohibited for import to the customs territory of Ukraine from the Russian Federation (22.01.2016)

In order to ensure the national security of Ukraine, in response to the introduction by the Russian Federation of appropriate trade bans and restrictions towards Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to supplement the list of goods prohibited for import to the customs territory of Ukraine from the Russian Federation. A decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated December 30, 2015 No. 1147 “On the prohibition of import into the customs territory of Ukraine of goods originating from the Russian Federation” was endorsed.

The decree of the Government stipulates for the ban to import to the customs territory of Ukraine more than 70 commodity items, including: onions, sauces and ketchups, fish, some confectionery items, such as cookies, crackers and the like.

The corresponding decree will come into force 10 days from the date of publication. The aforesaid restrictions on imports of goods from Russia will be in effect until August 5, 2016 or until the above-mentioned ban on goods from Ukraine is canceled by the Russian Federation.

Quelle: <http://www.kmu.gov.ua/control/en/publish/article?art_id=248782558&cat_id=244314975>